Rays' foes, fans report contributions

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tampa Bay Rays provided free meeting space to the group supporting their plans for a new waterfront stadium, while the group opposing the $450-million ballpark already has purchased 1,000 yard signs and 3,000 bumper stickers, according to new campaign finance reports filed by both groups.

Pro-stadium group Fans For Waterfront Stadium collected $3,419 in contributions from Jan. 1 through March 31, according to the reports. The group's leader, Kenny Locke, also loaned the group $1,800. Expenditures through the first three months totaled $3,902.36

Anti-stadium group POWW at the same time received $5,606 in contributions. About 36 of the 80 individual contributors have downtown addresses, records show. Expenditures totaled $3,705.18.

Fans For Waterfront Stadium received $774 worth of in-kind services from the Rays, including meeting space at Tropicana Field and a booth during the team's Fan Fest event. The group's largest expenditure, $1,600, paid for setting up a political action committee.

POWW, or Preserve Our Wallets and Waterfront, spent $2,620.28 printing 1,000 yard signs and $1,031.23 on 3,000 bumper stickers.

The campaign reports are required because both groups registered as political action committees ahead of a potential stadium referendum in November.

-- Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer